Sheet like material, such as paper in bundles and for instance of A4-size, are normally packaged in conventional, rectangular boxes comprising lid which is fitted over the open upper side of the box. Normally, one or more bands, for instance plastic bands, are wrapped around the box and its lid. With regard to copying paper, for instance, they are often bundled into one ream, i.e. 500 sheets are collected and cased in a paper envelope. There are packaging units with different numbers of paper bundles or reams. Five reams is not an unusual number. When the paper in question, for instance copying paper, is to be used the outer packaging unit is opened first, and then the inner package. The outer packaging unit is opened by clipping or cutting the band or bands around said unit and then lifting the lid from the box, so as to provide easy access to the first ream. It is then only necessary to remove the inner packaging material, i.e. the wrapping paper and place the paper bundle in the copying machine. The aforesaid (outer) packaging unit is not free from problem. Firstly, five reams of paper for example, weigh several kilos, and hence the bands wrapped around the unit tend to bite into the hand or hands of the person carrying the packaging unit and therewith cause discomfort. Furthermore, it is only the uppermost reams which can be reached readily in the box of the packaging unit. The reams which lie in the lower region of the box are difficult to reach and if sufficient care is not taken when removing these reams from the box, there is a risk that the hands may be blistered to some slight extent. The user can at least find the last ream of papers difficult to remove. Because of this, several people tipp the box over, so that the ream or reams fall from the box.
Alternative packaging units are found described in the literature and are commercially available. One such packaging unit is described in the European Patent Application 0 412 226. This packaging unit also consists of a box and a lid. The lid, however, includes an outwardly projecting wing portion at each short end of the box, this wing portion including a gripping aperture which will accomodate one hand of the user. When packaging reams of paper, for instance, the reams are stacked on the bottom of the box. The walls of the box are then raised and anchored to one another in their raised positions. The lid provided with said wing portions is then fitted onto the upper part of the box. Prior to transporting the packaging unit, or when the packaging unit is to be handled, the whole unit is turned so that the former lid now forms the bottom of the unit, and the unit can be carried and placed where desired with the aid of the wing portions. When the paper is to be used, the box is lifted up and the reams of paper lie free for the taking.